Oct 28 2008
Are we home yet?
The goat and I were watching the news the other day (always a big mistake, if you ask me), and the announcer said that the United States’ presence in Iraq is allowed by a United Nations agreement. This agreement is due to expire at the end of this year, and the Armed Forces will need to either get out or renew the agreement (or break the agreement and stick around without permission, but we would never do a thing like that…).
Now the goat and I aren’t the smartest folks around, but we were a little confused with this news. We have several friends serving in the military, some of whom are in Iraq now. Out of those sent to Iraq (many of whom are taking a second tour), none of them gave a return date prior to January 2009. If this agreement has been in place since America began occupying Iraq, how come none of these branches (I’m thinking specifically of the Army, Army Reserves, and USMC) are prepared to pull out when the contract is over? Did everyone assume that it would be renewed? Why did I not hear anything about this agreement before now?
I support the troops, which is apparently a big surprise since I’m a registered Democrat. I enjoy having a military force to protect me and my home. I also want my friends to be as far out of harm’s way as possible. So personally, I’m hoping the United States will honor this agreement and bring my boys (and girls) home for the new year. I’m not betting on it. I understand that many people are concerned about terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, and if popular opinion has anything to do with it, this conflict will continue a long time.
Like many critics, I can’t help but compare the situation in Iraq to the one in Vietnam: we constantly dance around actually calling either one “war”, both attracted support with the use of buzzwords like “communism” and “terrorism”, and both were linked at times to a supply of natural resources (rubber plants and oil, respectively). I wonder if the huge difference between these two conflicts will not be the terrain but the exit strategy. From what I understand, the United States pulled the military out of Vietnam when they said they would (years too late as many would argue, but that’s not my point); I can only hope that this agreement will help bring those brave men and women home in good time.
